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Bush taxis leave early from the Wadatta (prounounced Wa-dah-TAH) gare in Niamey, 1,750F per person in a minivan or slightly more in a station wagon. Or, you can rent out an entire station wagon for 20,000F one-way. One decent driver is Oumarou, 96-62-73-96.

Sunday is market day in Balleyara, a 2-hour drive east from Niamey. The spectacular market gets going at about 10am. Balleyara is known across West Africa for having one of the largest animal markets, with camels, long-horn bulls, horses, sheep, goats, and more for sale. Sellers and buyers come to the Balleyara animal market from all across Niger and other nearby countries. It also has a very lively regular market with a mix of Zarma, Bella, and Fulani cultures.

Black etched wooden bowls: 500-1000F for small, 1500-2500F for medium, and 3-4500 for large, depending on negotiating skills and number of foreigners in the group (the more foreigners, the higher the price).

Carved spoons, available from the same guys as the black etched wooden bowls: 150-250F depending on size and quality.

Street food stands are your best option. You can also find delicious local bread and sweet bread. On the main road just outside the market are a couple of boutiques that serve food such as rice and sauce, omelet sandwiches, etc. Filtered and sealed water is for sale for 25F each, known as "PureWater" (pronounced Pure-Watta)

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